Volkmann (9-2), who announced the bout on Monday, joined the UFC in 2009 after a Bellator win over Kevin Knabjian pushed his record to 9-0, but has since suffered losses to Paulo Thiago in November and Martin Kampmann in January.

Torres (14-2) signed with the UFC after an eight-fight win streak, but injuries postponed his debut from last April to earlier this month, when he dropped a unanimous decision to Melvin Guillard at UFC 109.

UFC Fight Night 21, which airs live on Spike as the lead-in for The Ultimate Fighter 11 debut, is headlined by a matchup between lightweight contenders Kenny Florian and Takanori Gomi, and also includes Roy Nelson vs. Stefan Struve, Nate Quarry vs. Jorge Rivera, and Ross Pearson vs. Dennis Siver.

For the latest UFC Fight Night 21 fight card check out the MMAFrenzy.com UFC rumors section, and for complete UFN 21 coverage, including UFC Fight Night 21 results, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Pictured: Jacob Volkmann

Couture earned a flat $250,000 for his second-round submission of Mark Coleman in the UFC 109 headliner, while Serra scored $150,000 for his first-round knockout of fellow veteran Frank Trigg. Other top earners included middleweight contender Chael Sonenn ($64,000), Demian Maia ($62,000), and Coleman ($60,000).

UFC 109 drew a crowd of 10,687 to the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas for a $2.27 million live gate.

The official fighter salaries for UFC 109 were:

• Randy Couture ($250,000 – no win bonus) def. Mark Coleman ($60,000)
• Chael Sonnen ($64,000 – includes $32,000 win bonus) def. Nate Marquardt ($45,000)
• Paulo Thiago ($30,000 – $15,000 win bonus) def. Mike Swick ($43,000)
• Demian Maia ($62,000 – $31,000 win bonus) def. Dan Miller ($15,000)
• Matt Serra ($150,000 – $75,000 win bonus) def. Frank Trigg ($30,000)
• Mac Danzig ($40,000 – $20,000 win bonus) def. Justin Buchholz ($8,000)
• Melvin Guillard ($28,000 – $14,000 win bonus) def. Ronys Torres ($4,000)
• Rob Emerson ($24,000 – $12,000 win bonus) def. Phillipe Nover ($10,000)
• Phil Davis ($10,000 – $5,000 win bonus) def. Brian Stann ($17,000)
• Chris Tuchscherer ($20,000 – $10,000 win bonus) def. Tim Hague ($7,000)
• Joey Beltran ($12,000 – $6,000 win bonus) def. Rolles Gracie ($15,000)

In addition to the salaries listed above, which are simply those disclosed by the promotion to the athletic commission and not representative of a fighter’s total earnings, Sonnen, Marquardt, Thiago, and Serra each took home $60,000 “fight night” bonuses for their performances at UFC 109.

SEE ALSO: UFC 109 Results, UFC 109 Recap, UFC 109 Coverage

For the latest UFC news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Pictured: Randy Couture

Couture opened the fight with crisp, accurate punches that took Coleman out of his element and had him backing away from the opening bell. Though Coleman eventually landed several shots midway through the round, Couture picked him apart in the clinch and appeared to near a finish with several uppercuts before Coleman tied him up for the remainder of the frame.

An opening combination in the second had Coleman backpedaling and Couture took advantage, first taking mount where he unleashed some ground and pound before taking his back and quickly securing a rear naked choke. Coleman refused to tap, and “The Natural” put him to sleep for the victory.

Following his win, Couture, who entered the Octagon to “Stranglehold,” said he had been training chokes in preparation for the bout and was “head hunting” before securing the fight-ending submission. The 46-year-old, who also beat Brandon Vera in November, might be on a fast-track to a title shot, improving to 18-10 with his first submission victory in over four years.

Though Coleman exchanged heated words with Tito Ortiz and promised to fight again after his loss, his lackluster showing and 1-2 record since returning last year could mark an end to his UFC career.

In the UFC 109 co-main event, Chael Sonnen earned the next middleweight title shot by upsetting fellow contender Nate Marquardt, surviving a deep gash and a frantic final minute to earn a unanimous decision victory fueled by dominant wrestling and ground and pound.

Though Marquardt is known for his grappling and regarded as a well-rounded fighter, Sonnen had no problem getting him to the ground and keeping him there while pummeling him with punches. Though Marquardt secured several guillotines and connected with some strikes from the bottom, including an elbow that cut Sonnen, he was largely unable to escape and, despite a last-minute flurry, Sonnen’s ground control proved too much and earned him unanimous 30-27 scores for the decision win.

Also on the UFC 109 main card, Paulo Thiago dropped Mike Swick then quickly choked him out cold with a D’arce in the second, Demian Maia displayed improved striking in earning a unanimous decision over Dan Miller, and Matt Serra kicked off the pay-per-view card with a swift first-round knockout of Frank Trigg.

SEE ALSO: Danzig and Guillard Win, Beltran upsets Gracie on UFC 109 prelims

The complete results for UFC 109 were:

• Randy Couture def. Mark Coleman via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 1:09
• Chael Sonnen def. Nate Marquardt via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Paulo Thiago def. Mike Swick via submission (D’arce choke) – Round 2, 1:54
• Demian Maia def. Dan Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Matt Serra def. Frank Trigg via KO (punches) – Round 1, 2:23
• Mac Danzig def. Justin Buchholz via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Melvin Guillard def. Ronnys Torres via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Rob Emerson def. Phillipe Nover via unanimous decision
• Phil Davis def. Brian Stann via unanimous decision
• Chris Tuchscherer def. Tim Hague via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
• Joey Beltran def. Rolles Gracie via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:31

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete post-UFC 109 coverage.

Pictured: Randy Couture

After getting tagged in the opening round, The Ultimate Fighter 6 winner Danzig recovered and focused on takedowns and ground control to top Justin Buchholz by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Ronnys Torres appeared on his way to a decision win over Guillard with numerous takedowns, but his lack of offense on the ground, coupled with Guillard’s superior standup and a late flurry of ground and pound, allowed Guillard to walk away with a controversial unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

After just agreeing to fight Gracie on Monday, Beltran rebounded from a lackluster opening round to down Gracie with a knee in the second round before finishing him off with a flurry of unanswered punches on the ground.

Rob Emerson, Phil Davis, and Chris Tuchscherer also earned decision wins on the UFC 109 preliminary card.

The UFC 109 preliminary card results were:

• Mac Danzig def. Justin Buchholz via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Melvin Guillard def. Ronnys Torres via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Rob Emerson def. Phillipe Nover via unanimous decision
• Phil Davis def. Brian Stann via unanimous decision
• Chris Tuchscherer def. Tim Hague via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
• Joey Beltran def. Rolles Gracie via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:31

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete post-UFC 109 coverage.

Pictured: Mac Danzig

Our live coverage kicks off at 7pm ET with UFC 109 preliminary card results, followed by live results and updates for the Spike-televised prelims at 9pm and pay-per-view main card at 10pm.

If you’re on Twitter, follow us @mmafrenzy for the latest MMA news plus instant UFC 109 results.

Enjoy the fights, and stick around after the event to watch the post-UFC 109 press conference at approximately 1:30am by clicking here and for complete post-fight coverage.

UFC 109 LIVE RESULTS
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• Randy Couture def. Mark Coleman via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 1:09
• Chael Sonnen def. Nate Marquardt via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Paulo Thiago def. Mike Swick via submission (D’arce choke) – Round 2, 1:54
• Demian Maia def. Dan Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Matt Serra def. Frank Trigg via KO (punches) – Round 1, 2:23
• Mac Danzig def. Justin Buchholz via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Melvin Guillard def. Ronnys Torres via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Rob Emerson def. Phillipe Nover via unanimous decision
• Phil Davis def. Brian Stann via unanimous decision
• Chris Tuchscherer def. Tim Hague via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
• Joey Beltran def. Rolles Gracie via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:31

UFC 109 LIVE FIGHT UPDATES

Melvin Guillard vs. Ronnys Torres

Round 1 – Torres gets Guillard down early and passes to side control quickly. Guillard scrambles away and both fighters stand. Torres moves forward with punches to setup another successful takedown. Guillard escapes and is briefly in Torres’ guard before they head back to their feet. Flying knee by Torres misses, followed by a missed spinning back fist by Guillard. Torres connects on a counter then ears a knee on a takedown, but drags Guillard down and goes to work from his guard. Little connects for Torres, but he keeps top control before Guillard gets back to his feet before the horn sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores round one for Torres 10-9.

There’s a brief delay as a bag of ice spills in the Octagon, but after a quick cleanup we’re back underway.

Round 2 – Torres picks Guillard up and looks for a takedown, but Guillard’s arms end up over the top of the cage and the pair stay standing. After trading some punches, Torres shoots again but Guillard catches him with another knee and staves off the takedown. Quick combos connect for Guillard, then he shrugs off another takedown. Guillard avoids punches, but Torres gets him to the ground and works for a kimura but Guillard escapes and ends in his guard. Guillard stands and drops a final punch before the round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Guillard 10-9, tying the fight up on our card 19-19.

Round 3 – Torres continues to move forward, but Guillard tags him with punches. Torres closes in and scores another takedown and goes to side control. Some punches from top by Torres, Guillard powers away and Torres tries to drag him back down but they return to their feet. Torres shoots again and gets Guillard down against the cage. Torres controls Guillard but does little damage. Guillard stands and Torres immediately takes him down, but Guillard ends in mount and unloads punches to end the fight. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Torres 10-9, giving him the fight on our card 29-28.

Melvin Guillard def. Ronnys Torres via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Justin Buchholz vs. Mac Danzig

Round 1 – Buchholz is aggressive early, moving forward with punches and kicks, but Danzig first back with a combo. Buchholz sneaks some punches through before Danzig circles away. Both fighters land some shots in the clinch then separate and circle. Buchholz charges forward and connects, then Danzig tags him back. Buchholz hurts Danzig with a knee and follows up with punches. Danzig is wobbled but fights on and settles back in with a combo. Danzig gets his back against the fence and Buchholz unloads. Danzig lands a solid right and clinches with Buchholz against the fence, then closes the round with solid strikes leaving the clinch. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Buchholz 10-9.

Round 2 – After trading some punches, Danzig and Buchholz clinch but little is landed before they split. Both fighters sneak through punches, then Danzig gets a takedown and immediately heads to side control. Danzig ground and pounds then tries for mount, but Buchholz gets him back to half guard. Buchholz works for a kimura from bottom and cranks, but it slips and Danzig escapes and goes back to side control then gets mount. Buchholz gives up his back, but Danzig is unable to capitalize and Buchholz escapes into his guard. Elbows from the bottom by Danzig, who rolls into mount and pounds away for a few seconds before the round ends. Danzig is warned for downward elbows, but no points are taken. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Danzig 10-9, tying it up on our card 19-19.

Round 3 – Danzig and Buchholz again clinch early in the third before Buchholz connects with strikes as they separate. Buchholz presses forward with wild punches that miss, then closes again and clinches. Danzig looks for a throw, but Buchholz ends in side control. Danzig gets back to guard and throws punches from the bottom and Buchholz does little from the top and they’re restarted. Danzig misses with an uppercut, but lands with a kick and follows with a combo. Body shots by Danzig sets up another combo, before taking him down into side control. Danzig takes his back and tees off then looks for a choke before rolling into mount and unleashing more ground and pound. Danzig gets his back again and looks for a rear naked choke. Buchholz shrugs it off, but Danzig unloads body shots to close out the fight. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Danzig 10-9, and gives him the bout 29-28.

Mac Danzig def. Justin Buchholz via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg

Round 1 – Serra and Trigg touch gloves and both start firing punches. Serra is more aggressive early and moves in with punches, while Trigg is tentative and seems content to counter-punch for now. Serra drops Trigg with a right, and finishes him off with several more punches on the ground and force the ref to step in.

Matt Serra def. Frank Trigg via KO (punches) – Round 1, 2:23

Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller

Round 1 – Miller fires low kicks and punches to start the bout, while Maia stays back and looks to counter. Maia closes in and briefly clinches but they separate and Miller starts to connect with his striking, landing several inside leg kicks. Kick by Maia sets up a takedown, but Miller gets right back to his feet. Maia unloads with punches, but a knee caught Miller low and the fight is stopped briefly, but quickly resumes. Miller and Maia trades strikes on the feet, with Miller getting the better of the exchanges. Maia gets Miller down again, but he’s immediately back up. They exchange punches before the round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Miller 10-9.

Round 2 – Miller looks to strike to open the second, but little connects. Left by Maia lands, but Miller presses forward with punches. Another left lands for Maia, who is more aggressive in the second and starts to connect with more frequency. Miller unable to find any openings for his punches, while Maia fires fewer but more-accurate punches that continue to land. Both fighters continue to focus on throwing punches, but little connects as a slow round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Maia 10-9, evening the fight at 19-19.

Round 3 – Maia and Miller stay on their feet to open the third, but neither fighter lands anything significant. Maia appears to slip and Miller tries to punches, but Maia grabs a leg and drags Miller down. Maia looks to soften Miller with punches from his guard against the fence, but Miller goes a good job neutralizing Maia and preventing him from advancing. Two minutes left, and Maia continues to throw moderate punches from Miller’s half-guard but the action is largely stalled. Maia postures up and looks to pass, but Miller keeps him in guard. Miller keeps Maia locked up, then tries for a triangle and tags Maia from the bottom, but Maia closes the fight with light ground and pound. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Maia 10-9, giving him the fight 29-28.

Demian Maia def. Dan Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Mike Swick vs. Paulo Thiago

Round 1 – Lots of movement from Swick and Thiago, but nothing connects until Thiago opens with a head kick that Swick shrugs off before countering. Leg kick by Thiago nearly trips Swick, who then connects with his first big punch of the fight. Another hard leg kick by Thiago, followed by combinations from both fighters. Swick circles, then takes Thiago down and throws body punches from guard before getting tied up to finish the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Thiago 10-9.

Round 2 – Swick finding his distance to open the second, but Thiago lands solid leg and body kicks. Swick tags Thiago with a right, but Thiago drops him with a counter left and quickly locks in a D’arce choke on the ground. Swick doesn’t tap and Thiago puts him to sleep.

Paulo Thiago def. Mike Swick via submission (D’arce choke) – Round 2, 1:54

Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen

Round 1 – Quick start by both fighters and Sonnen pressures Marquardt with strikes before grabbing the clinch against the fence. Marquardt escapes, but Sonnen quickly scores a takedown. Marquardt grabs a guillotine, but Sonnen escapes, presses him against the fence, and unloads with ground and pound. Marquardt kicks Sonnen off, stands, and connects with a flying knee before Sonnen drags him back down. Elbows and punches from top by Sonnen, as Marquardt struggles for control and throws occasional elbows from bottom. Body shots by Sonnen as we enter the final minute, and he stands just before the round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Sonnen 10-9.

Round 2 – Sonnen immediately gets Marquardt down again to begin the second and resumes the ground and pound, but Marquardt works for a kimura. Sonnen escapes and looks to pass, but settles back into Marquardt’s guard and drops more punches. Marquardt able to do little from his back as Sonnen postures up and tees off with elbows. Marquardt cuts Sonnen with an elbow, and grabs a leg as Sonnen sprays blood. Sonnen escapes and looks to take his back while Marquardt fires back with elbows. Marquardt scrambles, but Sonnen keeps him on the canvas and tees off with more ground and pound for the closing seconds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Sonnen 10-9, putting him up 20-18.

Round 3 – Marquardt looks for a takedown, but Sonnen shrugs it off and gets a takedown of his own into Marquardt’s guard. Sonnen keeps Marquardt against the fence and lands some ground and pound before Marquardt gets to his feet and tries to escape, but Sonnen keeps him on the ground. Marquardt throwing punches from bottom, while Sonnen smothers and unloads more punches. Marquardt stands and Sonnen shoots, but Marquardt locks in a tight guillotine. Sonnen finally escapes, but Marquardt reverses to the top and unloads with big punches before the round ends. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Marquardt 10-9, but the fight goes to Sonnen 29-28.

Chael Sonnen def. Nate Marquardt via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Mark Coleman vs. Randy Couture

Round 1 – Couture connects with punches to open the main event. Little movement from Coleman, as Couture continues to connect with shots, but Coleman finally lands some punches. Couture picks Coleman apart with punches, then slams him with knees to the head. They clinch against the fence and Couture connects with more punches, followed by a mix of uppercuts, elbows, and body shots. Another big uppercut by Couture lands, then Coleman neutralizes Couture to survive the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round for Couture 10-9.

Round 2 – Couture combination sends Coleman backpedaling to the cage, and Couture takes him down and is immediately into mount. Some ground and pound by Couture, before he takes his back and locks in a rear naked choke. Coleman refuses to tap and Couture puts him to sleep.

Randy Couture def. Mark Coleman via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2, 1:09

Both Couture and Coleman weighed-in at the 205-pound light heavyweight limit for the main event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, which hosts tomorrow’s pay-per-view event.

The official UFC 109 weigh-in results were:

MAIN CARD (pay-per-view)

• Randy Couture (205) vs. Mark Coleman (205)
• Nate Marquardt (186) vs. Chael Sonnen (185)
• Mike Swick (171) vs. Paulo Thiago (170)
• Demian Maia (186) vs. Dan Miller (185)
• Matt Serra (169) vs. Frank Trigg (171)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike)

• Mac Danzig (156) vs. Justin Buchholz (156)
• Melvin Guillard (155) vs. Ronnys Torres (156)

PRELIMINARY CARD (unaired)

• Phillipe Nover (155) vs. Rob Emerson (155)
• Brian Stann (205) vs. Phil Davis (205)
• Tim Hague (263) vs. Chris Tuchscherer (263)
• Rolles Gracie (247) vs. Joey Beltran (238)

For complete UFC 109 coverage, including live UFC 109 results tomorrow beginning at 7pm ET, stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Pictured: Randy Couture

The last “UFC Prelim” show on Spike TV aired prior UFC 109 on January 2 and featured Martin Kampmann vs. Jacob Volkmann and Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon. The broadcast set a ratings record for the specials, drawing in 1.5 million viewers.

UFC 109 is headlined by a light heavyweight contest between former heavy weight champions Mark Coleman and Randy Couture. Other bouts featured on the pay-per-view card include Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller, Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen, Paulo Thiago vs. Mike Swick, and Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg.

For the latest UFC news and UFC rumors stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.

Pictured: Mac Danzig

Torres (14-1), who was scheduled to debut against Guillard and Jeremy Stephens in 2009 before injuries forced him to withdraw from both fights, has won eight-straight, including a 5-0 mark in his most-recent bouts in 2008. Torres’ most notable win was a 2006 victory over Rafael Feijao, one of just two decisions on his record.

After back-to-back losses sent Guillard (22-8-2) packing from the UFC in 2007, a win outside the Octagon earned him a return to the promotion, where he won “Knockout of the Night”  over Dennis Siver at UFC 86 last July before earning a decision over Gleison Tibau in June. “The African Assassin” suffered a second-round submission to Nate Diaz in September in the main event of UFC Fight Night 19.

UFC 109 has yet to be official announced, but is rumored to include Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller, Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg, and Rolles Gracie vs. Mustapha Al-Turk.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for complete UFC 109 coverage, including UFC 109 news and UFC 109 rumors.

Pictured: Melvin Guillard

Stephens (16-5) faces a must-win matchup after suffering back-to-back losses to Joe Lauzon and Gleison Tibau in his most recent bouts. “Lil Heathen” had previously won 3 of 4 UFC fights, earning Knockout of the Night honors with a third-round KO of Rafael dos Anjos in November as well as wins over Cole Miller and Diego Saraiva, while suffering a decision loss to Spencer Fisher.

Torres (14-1), who has fought exclusively in Brazil over his 15-fight career, suffered his lone loss in September 2007 and has since bounced back with 8-straight victories, only one of which went the distance, to earn a contract with the UFC. He had been slated to debut against Melvin Guillard at UFC Fight Night 18 earlier this year, but was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a knee injury.

The Spike-televised UFN 19 event is also rumored to include Roger Huerta vs. Gray Maynard, Dan Miller vs. Aaron Simpson, and Chris Wilson vs. Mike Pyle.

For the latest UFC Fight Night 19 rumors check out the MMAFrenzy.com UFC rumors section.

[Pictured: Jeremy Stephens]

• TJ Grant, who was rumored to be fighting Martin Kampmann at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale before Kampmann declined the bout, will instead face Rory Markham at the June 20th event.
• Nick Thompson vs. Tim Kennedy, Dennis Hallman vs. Cedric Marks, and Cory Devela vs. Luke Rockhold have been added to the June 19th Strikeforce Challengers event.
• Jared Hamman has withdrawn from his June 6th Strikeforce bout against Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante after suffering an injury in training and has been replaced by Mike Kyle.
• KJ Noons says he’s in negotiations to resume his MMA career with Strikeforce.
• Weigh-ins for Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields on June 6 in St. Louis will take place on Friday, June 5, at Al Hrabosky’s Ballpark Saloon at 3pm CT.
• Bantamweight Noah Thomas, a lightweight cast member on The Ultimate Fighter 5, has signed with the WEC and will replace Eddie Wineland against Frank Gomez at WEC 41 on June 7 in Sacrament, California.
• Ronnys Torres will make his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 19 in September.
• Middleweight tournament participants Yosmany Cabezas, Jared Hess, Hector Lombard, and Damien Stelly made weight on Thursday at weigh-ins for Bellator week 9 in Monroe, Louisiana.
• Phil Cardella vs. Ed Ratcliff has been added to the lineup for WEC 42 on August 9th in Las Vegas.
• Dana White’s “special announcement” on Thursday was confirmation of UFC Undisputed 2010, the follow-up to the recently-released and highly-anticipated UFC Undisputed 2009 video game for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.
• Tickets for the UFC Fan Expo on July 10th and 11th in Las Vegas are now on sale.
• The UFC won’t return to Chicago in 2009, but could hold an event in Indianapolis in 2010.

[Pictured: TJ Grant]